This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer A Guide for Book Discussion and Classroom Use About the Guide This World We Live In is most appropriate for readers in grades 7-12 or ages 12-18. This guide was created to be used for the classroom or smaller reading groups. There are a variety of questions, some addressing comprehension of the story and others prompting readers to draw conclusions, speculate, and opportunities for "digging deeper" into the story. The questions can be adapted as writing prompts. The page numbers in the guide refer to the hardcover edition. About the Book In this companion to the novels Life As We Knew It and The Dead & The Gone, nearly a year has passed since an asteroid collided with the moon, setting off worldwide natural catastrophes that resulted in horrific global devastation and death. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it in her small Pennsylvania town no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, the air is barely breathable, and food is increasingly scarce. Miranda, her mother, and two bothers live a precarious day-to-day existence. Their struggle to survive is further complicated by the arrival of Miranda s father, stepmother with a baby, and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for the future thwart their relationship. When a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.
Pre-Reading Activities Remind readers of recent natural disasters such as the tsunami that struck Indonesia, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti. Discuss with readers what they would do if catastrophe were to suddenly strike them. What knowledge, skills, and supplies should they have to help them survive? There are numerous websites with information about asteroids and the moon. Give readers an opportunity to explore these, and then have them share with one another facts they have discovered. In emergency situations, some people adopt a survival of the fittest attitude, while others react with charity and compassion. Ask readers to discuss why people react so differently, and then follow up with a discussion of how each of them thinks he or she would react in an emergency. Questions for Discussion Electricity, sunlight, and water are three things that Miranda s family frequently has to go without. What are ways in which your life would change if you could not depend on them or if you have had to go without them for days or even weeks at a time? What does Miranda think about when she finds the shopping list in her mom s book? Why does Miranda hate Sundays? What do Miranda and Matt find out when they go to City Hall? What does Miranda find so difficult to accept? Why does Miranda love breaking into houses? Why does Miranda find so much pleasure in being alone? What do you think Miranda means when she describes her cat, Horton, as the blue and green and yellow in our lives (p. 33)? What thoughts run through Miranda s mind when she discovers the pile of dead bodies? How is everything forever different when John and Matt return home?
How do Matt and Syl meet? How does Mom react to Matt s announcement that he and Syl are married? What do you think of Syl s reasons for loving Matt? Why does Miranda wish that Matt had not told Syl about her diary? What does Miranda overhear Matt and her mom arguing about? What does she find out about her dad that she had never known? What does Alex mean when he talks about the sin of pride? Why does Miranda s dad pretend to be Bob Nesbitt? What is it that bothers Miranda about her dad s relationship with Alex and Julie? What goes through Miranda s mind when she sees Mr. Danworth holding Gabriel? What do you think Gabriel represent to everyone? How do Alex and Miranda differ in their views of faith in God and the future? What is the importance of faith to the survivors in this world? Why does Matt resent Alex? Alex tells Miranda that there could be a time when life is worse than death for Julie. Can you imagine a situation in which being dead would be better than being alive? Why is Alex convinced that the only way to protect Julie is to get her to a convent? What do Jon and Miranda hate Syl for doing? Alex tells Miranda, I want to be good but I don t know how, and Miranda replies, None of us know anymore (p. 191). What do you think it means to be a good person in the world in which Alex and Miranda live? How different is it from what it means to be a good person in our world?
Miranda s mom tells her, What you feel for Alex, it s pity and desire, not love. Not the kind of love two people build a life on (p. 206). Do you agree? Miranda says that maybe pity and desire is what love is now. Do you think it is possible for the world to change so much that it changes the way people think of love? Why do you think Miranda s mother is unwilling to leave the house until the tornado forces her out? Do you think it was right for Miranda to give Julie the sleeping pills? How do you think keeping a diary the past year has helped Miranda? Why do you think Miranda decides not to write in a diary again and to leave the diaries behind at the house? What does the decision reveal about how Miranda has changed? How does the idea of what constitutes a family change for each of the characters in the course of the story? Follow-up Activities Ask readers to compare and contrast the literary merits of this novel with its two predecessors. Consider such elements as characterization, conflict, mood, setting, and theme. Ask readers to write an additional chapter in which they predict what happens to Miranda and her family when they leave to go in search of the safe town. Direct readers to the National Geographic website for information about natural disasters at: science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/natural-disasters/. At this site readers can learn more about floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters that are fictionalized in the book.
About the Author Susan Beth Pfeffer is the author of many books for teens, including The Dead & The Gone, a companion novel to Life As We Knew It, and the best-selling novel The Year Without Michael. Among her other books are the popular Portraits of Little Women series and the award-winning Kid Power. She lives in Middletown, New York. This guide was created by Ed Sullivan, a librarian and author in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is the author of many articles, books and reviews about children's and young adult literature. Harcourt Children s Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company www.hmhbooks.com